Attorneys' Fee Awards

Laws that protect civil rights commonly include a critical enforcement tool: an award of attorneys’ fees. By providing attorneys’ fees, these laws encourage lawyers to help bring cases that benefit society as a whole.

The Brennan Center is dedicated to preserving attorneys’ fee award policies. In Arbor Hill Concerned Citizens Neighborhood Association v. County of Albany, we persuaded the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to correct its earlier decision that had undermined attorneys’ fee awards in civil rights cases. In Dobbins v. Legal Services Corporation, we are fighting to restore the authority of civil legal aid lawyers to file claims for attorneys’ fee awards on behalf of low-income families.
    Access to Justice: Opening the Courthouse Door
    David Udell & Rebekah Diller

    Dobbins/Velazquez v. Legal Services Corporation
    – 10/01/07

    This lawsuit challenges restrictions on civil legal aid programs that receive some of their funding from the federal Legal Services Corporation (LSC).

    Arbor Hill v. Albany Amicus Brief
    – 05/22/07

    The Brennan Center and allies filed an amicus brief emphasizing the importance of attorneys’ fee awards in enabling law firms to take cases benefiting low-income people.

    David S. Udell

    Arbor Hill—Is Three Times a Charm?
    David S. Udell – 04/22/08

    It’s unusual for any court to issue three versions of one opinion, but in Arbor Hill Concerned Citizens Neighborhood Ass’n, a civil rights case involving an award of attorneys fees, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is at three, and counting....

    Reform Federal Civil Justice Policy to Meet the High-Stakes Legal Needs of Low-Income People
    – 01/05/07